EAST AFRICAN REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS 73 



named margaritifer would take precedence over Jiildehrandtii, which 

 can not stand under any circumstances, being preoccupied by Mabuya 

 Mldehrandtii (Peters), which I consider a synonym of M. varia. 

 Sternfeld mentions that there are 4 upper labials anterior to the 

 subocular; this is, however, normal for typica and, after eliminating 

 three damaged specimens, is constant for the whole of the present 

 series except No. 49168, which has 3 (right) and 4 (left) and No. 

 49188, which has 4 (right) and 5 (left). There is nothing unusual 

 in the Taita skinks having 6 or 7 supraciliaries for division and fusion 

 of these scales is common, those of the present series examined 

 (about half) have 5 or 6. 



MABUYA BAYONH Bocage 



Mdbuia bayonii Bocage, 1872, Jorn. Sci. Lisboa, vol. 4, p. 75 (Duque de Bra- 

 gan^a, Angola). — Boulenger, 1887, Cat. Lizards Brit. Mus., vol. 3, p. 201 

 (Angola and Mossamedes) .— Tornier, 1897, Die Kriechthiere Deutsch- 

 Ost-Afrikas, p. 42 (Ssero on border of K. C. and T. T.).— Nieden, 1913, 

 Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin, vol. 7, p. 86 (Ssero; Ngurumann, Lake Victoria, 

 T. T.). 



1 (U.S.N.M. 40710) Mt. Kenya, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 40781) Wambugu, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1929. 

 4 (U.S.N.M. 40947-50) Guaso Nyiro, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 42024) Sirgoit Lake, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 



This series of skinks, so similar in general appearance to M. varia, 

 is characterized by (1) the scales on the soles of the feet being non- 

 spinose; (2) the subocular being much narrowed inferiorly and 

 (actually excluded from the lip on the left side in No. 40781) with five 

 labials anterior to it; (3) single frontoparietal; (4) 34 to 36 mid-body 

 scale rows with dorsals tricarinate; (5) two or three very long ear 

 lobules. The identification had already been made at the National 

 Museum and I can only confirm it. From a geographical point of 

 view these fresh records are astonishing; one would have expected 

 these skinks to be referable to isselii of Ethiopa rather than with the 

 Angolan hayonii, but while they agree with isselii (which I made a 

 synonym of varia in 1920) in the single frontoparietal they differ in 

 possessing smooth scales, much narrowed subocular and long ear 

 lobules. 



The species is apparently larger than varia, of which perhaps 

 it might be considered a race; in length from snout to vent these 

 specimens range from 60 to 77 mm., the last mentioned skink (No. 

 40950) measuring 171 (77 + 94) mm. over all. 



